1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to woodworking and more particularly to a router table for use in cutting various types of joints, shapes, and articles from wooden work pieces, as well as other precision woodworking operations. More particularly, the present invention includes an improved router guide for positioning and guiding the cutting tool of the router or the work piece.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Router tables are widely used because of their ability to make more precise cuts than can be made by hand. A router table is typically a horizontal work surface under which a conventional router may be mounted in order to use it as a shaper by moving a work piece relative to the router bit, rather than moving the router bit relative to the work piece. Often, such router tables are inconvenient to use because adjustment of router bit position must be accomplished by adjusting the router on its base, which is difficult to do with the router mounted upside down underneath a router table.
To maintain the work piece in position relative to the cutter bit, some prior art router tables are provided with elongated fences that are connected to the top of the main table so that they can be moved laterally toward and away from the cutter bit. In this type of arrangement, it may be cumbersome and potentially dangerous for a user to attempt certain horizontal cuts while manually holding the work piece against the fence in a position perpendicular to the main table. Further, by introducing this step of moving or repositioning the fence or the material (work piece) being cut, the effort and time needed to complete a project is increased and, the potential for inaccuracy is greatly increased by the new positioning of the pieces.
There is thus a need for a router guide which effectively guides the user in safe and convenient positioning and securing of the work piece while allowing simple, accurate, and multiple adjustments of the router bit with respect to the work piece, as well as other precision woodworking operations.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome disadvantages of the prior art.